"The Morning Call Inc., Copyright 2002"
Date: FRIDAY, August 2, 1985
HEAVY RAINS LIGHTEN DROUGHT; MEASURES STILL IN FORCE
by TOM LOWRY, The Morning Call
Raindrops keep falling on our heads, but does that mean the drought situation is getting any better?
The state Departmental of Environmental Resources yesterday answered that question with a ''yes'' in its most recent update on the drought. But that doesn't mean water restrictions will be lifted.
In fact, the situation was still serious enough last week for Gov. Thornburgh to extend the drought emergency another 100 days. It had been due to expire July 26.
DER spokesman David Mashek said yesterday that heavy and ''steady'' rains in July have improved the soil moisture conditions in the Delaware River Basin. He said it was important to emphasize ''steady,'' since most of the rainfall this summer has come from thunderstorms, which produce downpours that tend to run off rather than soak into the ground.
Rains from tropical storm Bob and from a strong storm Wednesday have helped conditions, Mashek said. He said 1.6 inches of rain fell Wednesday in the Lehigh Valley area.
Meteorologist Charles Giannetta at the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton Airport said 7.61 inches of rain has fallen in the area in July, 3.5 inches above normal levels for this time of the year. But the annual level of rainfall for the area is still 1.9 inches below normal, Giannetta said, adding ''it was a very dry spring.''
Mashek said the Lehigh Valley is one area in the Delaware River Basin that has had abundant rain during the drought crisis. He explains the rain as just the way the ''storm tracks'' have moved this year.
Reservoirs in Pennsylvania are all at capacity and releases from them into streams were not required this month because of the rains. The Lehigh River is at 74 percent of its normal flow, and the Schuylkill River is at 48 percent. The Delaware River's flow is at capacity, Mashek said.
Although the Lehigh Valley seems not to have been heavily affected by the drought, the situation in other areas is quite different.
DER Secretary Nicholas DeBenedictis said, ''The water storage in the New York City reservoirs continues to drop and our long-term deficits (annual) still average 12.8 inches for the region.''
Earlier this week, residents of Pine Grove, Schuylkill County, were placed under a water rationing plan. The community has only 30 days' water supply left in its two reservoirs.
''During the period of 1981, Pine Grove had to go to water rationing. The borough sought approval of a rationing plan a month later in 1981 than they did this year, which is a reason for concern,'' DeBenedictis said.
Residents will be restricted to 40 gallons of water daily and they won't be allowed to wash their cars, water lawns or fill swimming pools under the plan. Individuals living alone will be allotted 55 gallons.
Violations of the restrictions will result in fines.
Mashek said Pine Grove received between .75 and an inch of rain from Wednesday's storm, not enough precipitation to make a difference in the extreme conditions there.
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"WEATHER BY GIANNETTA"